Gillingham end Leeds' 100% start

By Jack Nolan
October 1 2007

Gillingham have ended Leeds United’s 100% start to the new League One season, having secured a late draw at the krbs Priestfield Stadium on Saturday. Leeds had two players sent off before Ian Cox headed home a 90th minute equaliser for The Gills. Seb Carole had given Leeds a one goal advantage, before Leeds' Tresor Kandol and Jermain Beckford saw red.

The game started with two
interesting changes to the Gillingham side that lost at the City Ground last
Saturday. Nicky Southall was replaced by Marvin Hamilton, and was rumoured to
have been dropped for criticising team mate Steve Lomas. Mark Bentley pulled
out of the squad due to injury, and was replaced by Barry Cogan, who was keen
to make an impression.

The games first real
chances of the game fell to Gillingham, showing no fear of their opponents
despite their strength. Nowland, Crofts and Graham all missed decent chances,
and Cogan was posing a threat on the wing.

Unfortunately for The
Gills, it was Leeds who got the first goal of the game however. A dubious free
kick was given against Gillingham’s Adam Nowland, and from that the ball
finally fell to Seb Crole who headed in.

Five minutes before half
time however, Leeds United stiker Tresor Kandol got himself a stupid red card.
Already on a yellow for dissent, Kandol had won a free kick only to
sarcastically applaud the referee that led to his second yellow card.

Not too long after the
interval, Jermaine Beckford almost doubled Leeds’ advantage in spectacular
fashion. His overhead kick was somehow tipped over the bar by the impressive
Simon Royce.

Beckford was then the next
Leeds player to see red, having only been booked a few minutes earlier for
kicking the ball away, Beckford inflicted a late foul on Gillingham’s Sean
Clohessy. Leeds were lucky too not have nine men, when ‘keeper kicked the ball
out of the ground when Beckford was sent off when he was later booked.

With Leeds having no
strikers, the put every man behind the ball and hoped for the best, and it
looked like they may have held onto their one goal advantage. Gillingham were
extremely unlucky to not be four goals ahead as they squandered so many decent
chances.

After David Graham seeing
his shot saved, Gillingham fans were thinking it would not be their day, but
then The Gills won a 90th minute corner. The impressive Barry
Cogan’s corner was found by the head of Ian Cox, who’s header found its way
into the back of the net.

The Gills could have even
won it late on, only for Crofts and Graham to miss decent chances.

After the game, as
expected Leeds “fans” caused trouble and disgracefully threw coins at the match
officials, and damaged cars on the way to the train station.